The editor of Bronteana is currently a graduate student in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has a combined BA in English Language and Literature and Classical Civilization. She is currently working on a master's thesis on adaptations of Jane Eyre.
Comments and contributions are always welcome at bronteana.blog@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

BBC Jane Eyre in 5 parts

Back by popular demand, here are all three parts of the BBC's radio production of Jane Eyre. I do not know when it was produced but I have a feeling it is from the 1950s. This is only a guess. The production features Meg Wynn Owen (aka Megwynn Owen) as Jane Eyre, and Patrick Allen as Mr Rochester. I will say that if this production had been a film rather than an audio recording it would doubtless be one of the contenders for 'best adaptation.' In fact, this production has as astonishing St. John Rivers. Finally, an actor who takes St. John seriously enough to make him a real threat. You truly believe that he could murder Jane and not receive one stain of guilt on his 'crystal conscience'!

The strange omission is that this version actually omits Helen Burns entirely! Otherwise, it is a faithful, moving, and thoughtful adaptation. And, yes, Jane and Rochester are extremely well portrayed as well!

24 comments:

Ah no, it was in 1972- probably around May. Just before JE '73! I often wonder if Michael had heard it and used it to help him find the role. :) But you know that Arnold Moss CBS Radio Mystery version- I always think it is from the fifties, but it is actually 1977 which is shocking because it is so bad...

Well, as we know, these things don't necessarily get better with time ;) For instance, that 1977 one had some innovative revisions of the story... you know, with the spoons of doom and Bertha's dinosaur-ish cry! Fascinating stuff!

Oh, I think I told you that I have a list of "Jane Eyre derivatives" and this adaptation is listed with the year and adapter and other stuff. From this list, I see that Rochester's song was recorded with music by Alfred Jepson in 1962 (New York, Etnorb) but I haven't found it a mention of it on google, but the list says that the Parsonage has it, so you know...

You know my feelings on Italian art songs. I haven't found any pre-20th century Italian Corsair songs yet, but I still say that 'Amaryllis, Mia Bella' can only be properly sung by Mr Rochester ;) I don't tend to like the bass voice but when it is 'mellow', well, it's a beautiful thing :)

This is the first I have heard of this list, I think, although I think you mentioned a book on the subject. Maybe I've confused it.

Mysticgypsy! You surprise me! A woman of the world and you don't know about the terror tea spoons can elicit? Have you learned nothing from Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre? *cough*Heathcliff spoon*cough*

(The CBS Radio Mystery Theater production of Jane Eyre is the one where we got the idea for the scary Heathcliff spoon.)

Great adaptation. I liked all of it. By the way, has any of you listen to the radio adaptation of Jane eyre with Ciaran Hinds as Rochester (I read in an interview with him that he also played the role in the audio version); I was just wondering if, in the audio version, he is also shouting and crying most of the times, similar with the movie version :)

I posted the Ciaran Hinds audio verion almost a year ago, I think. It was dreadful, and yes he was very shouty in it. I believe the audio preceeded the film. Someone at the League of the Extraordinarily Rochester Obsessed must have it, even though most of us think it is dreadful, but not I. We are committed to completeness, however, and must have every adaptation ever made. ;)

Funny how there are two audio Janes with lisps, although Meg Wynn Owen's is a lot less annoying than Sophie Thompson's!

Thanks again, I loved this, it definitely hit the spot, er, as it were. Mr R was nicely posh and warm, and I appreciated having a properly passionate Jane. It's funny how the old dialogue, which I've heard so many times, can be completely refreshing and bring out new shades of meaning when performed properly.

Agreed! I really enjoyed how Megwynn was able to express Jane'shyness, and vulnerability AND her strength only using the voice. It is a wonderful thing. And I'm beginning to think that many of the most potent and passionate lines of the novel are best performed low- ie, Rochester's breathy lines in this. Usually he shouts or at least exclaims them but they have so much more tension and feeling this way (the proposal, and the reunion, for instance).

I didn't even get through the Sophie Thompson/Ciaran Hinds version. I couldn't take either one of them past the scene when Jane puts the fire out in his room!

Thanks for the answers. The version with Ciaran Hinds does not sound appealing at all then, if he is still shouting :) Besides, I saw Sophie Thompson in Emma movie, as Mrs Bates, and I really can't picture her as Jane. She was good as Mrs Bates, though...

No, I hoped he would have been more on the mark with the audio version too, but sadly this wasn't so. Previously I thought the director and writer may have thought Rochester was such a brute (since there are those added scenes where he just rages around throwing Jane's luggage and dragging how down stairs etc...). But it looks like he just didn't understand Rochester at ALL. I have an interview in the archives in which he says something like Rochester is 'very very angry' and 'the quintessential chauvanist Englishman.' (!!)

That version was 1997 actually (1996 = Gainsbourg/Hurt). We are referring to a radio program of Jane Eyre which Ciaran did with Sophie Thompson as Jane. The BBC aired it sometime this year but I think it was made before the Morton film.